Day: January 24, 2009

18And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) 19And he blessed him and said,

“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
Possessor of heaven and earth;
20and blessed be God Most High,
who has delivered your enemies into your hand!”

Hebrews 5:7-12
7In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

Melchizedek was “priest of God most high”. This before the Mosaic Law dictated the requirement about priests.

Melchizedek was not a Levitical priest and this is important as an illustration in Hebrews to show that Jesus is a priest in the order of Melchizedek. Jesus’ priesthood is not the temporary levitical priesthood of the Mosaic Law. His priesthood predates that Law and continues on past that Law for eternity.

Jesus, our Great High Priest has made sacrifice to God for us, offers that sacrifice to God for us and now intercedes as a priest for us. Melchizedek performed the work of priest for the people of Salem in that he interceded for them to God, probably offered sacrifice to God on their behalf and presented it to God for them.

The Mosaic Law does not introduce the concept of sacrifice for sin, nor does it expiate sin. It points to the eternal priestly work of Christ. It is a shadow of the greater reality (Heb. 10:1).

Jesus Christ is the perfect, eternal, Mediator. There is and cannot be anything better. Melchizedek is a picture of Christ Himself in a way that even the Levitical priesthood could not be. And we have Him by faith alone. This is the greatest marvel that can possibly be and it should cause us to fall on our knees in gratitude and in praise.

Jesus is a priest. He is a priest forever. We cannot approach the Holy Creator without a mediator. And we have One – forever.

Today, if you are a believer, do not forget that you are forgiven, you are not destroyed, you are able to pray, you have eternal life, you are forgiven and always being forgiven, because Jesus Christ is your priest. He is the only priest you have and the only one you need.

Now then, go and live for Him in the power of that incomprehensible grace.